And the name, chosen from a selection of more than 3,400 "Name the Train" contest entries and subjected to extensive public-opinion research, is: Metro.

That's the simple solution chosen by Valley Metro Rail, which wants to put an easily recognizable and even international spin on the light-rail system, Phoenix Mayor Skip Rimsza said at a news conference Wednesday to announce the new name.

Metro is a name used for rail systems around the world and in such major cities as Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; and Paris, said Rimsza, who also serves as chairman of the light-rail board.

Rimsza also used the news conference to introduce the new CEO for the fledgling system, Richard Simonetta, former head of Atlanta's light-rail system and past chairman of the American Public Transportation Association.

The winner of the "Name the Train" contest, 32-year-old Ben Bethel of downtown Phoenix, was among several hundred people who submitted the name, but he was the first to put in his entry.

"I suggested Metro because I thought we should have a serious approach to transit and a serious name," Bethel said. "I didn't think we should have some cute little acronym."

The 20-mile light-rail system is now in the final design stage, with construction scheduled to begin in spring 2004. About 27,000 riders daily are expected to use the system, which will link the northwest Valley and East Valley with downtown Phoenix. The system is scheduled for completion in December 2006, with plans in place to expand it in the future.